"Alan Dean Foster - With friends like these." - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

Diego by yourself, at least take the Pontiac! Have some sense,' I told him! I don't know what's
with the kids these days, hon. You'd think he'd listen to me just this once, wouldn't you? Me, who
once drove all the way from Indianapolis to L.A. and was challenged only twice on the wayтАФonly
twice, Myrt, but no, he hadda be a big shot! 'Listen Dad. This is something I've got to work out
for myself. With my own car,' he tells me! I knew he'd have trouble in that VW. And I often told
him so, too.
"But no, all he could think of to say was, Tops, the worst that can happen is I've gotta
outmaneuver some other car, right? You've seen the way that bug corners, haven't you, huh? And if
I get into a tough scrape, any other VW on the road is bound by oath to support me тАФin most
actions anyway."
"Whatta you tell a kid like that, Myrt? How do you get through to him?" His face registered utter
bafflement. His wife's crying had slowed to a trickle. She was dabbing at her eyes with one of his
old handkerchiefs.
"I don't know either, dear. I still don't understand why he had to drive down there. Why couldn't
he have taken the Trans, Frank? Why?"
"Oh, you know why. What would his friends have said? 'Here's Bobby Merwin, too scared to drive his
own rod,' and that sort of crud." His sarcasm was getting edgier. "Still felt he had to prove
himself a man, the idiot! He'd already soloed on the freewaysтАФwhy did he feel the need to try a
cross-county expedition? But damn it, if he had to display his guts, why couldn't he have done so
in the big car? Not even a professionally customized VW can mount much stuff.
"And on top of everything else, you'd think he'd have had the sense to shy of! that kind of an
argument? He had Driver's Training! Who ever heard of a VW disputing position with a CadтАФa


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Marauder, no less! Where were his 'friends,' huh? I warned him about the light stretches between
here and Diego, where flow is light, help is more than a hornblast away and some psycho can
surprise you from behind an on-ramp!"
He paused to catch his breath, walked back to the lamp stand, and picked up the letter. Familiar
with the contents, he glanced at it only briefly this time. He offered it to his wife but she
declined, so he returned it to the stand.
"You know what I have to do now, I suppose?"
She nodded, sniffling.
"Bob was taking that gift to a friend in Diego. I'm bound to see that it's delivered."
She looked up at him without much hope. She knew Frank.
"I don't supposeтАФ"
He shook his head. His expression was gentle but firm.
"No, hon. I'm taking it down myself. I refuse to ship it and I certainly won't ride the Trans. Not
after all these years. No, I'm going down the same way Bob went, by the same route. I'll have the
J.J. tuned first, though."
She looked around dully, plucking fitfully at the delicate covering of the couch.
"I suppose you'll at least take it in toтАФ"
"Hector? Certainly. In spite of what he charges he's damn well worth the money. Best mechanic
around. I enjoy doing business with him. Know I'm getting my credit's worth, at least. We couldn't
have me going somewhere elseтАФnow could we? Wouldn't want him to get the idea we're prejudiced or
something. I've been going to him for, oh, five years. Almost forgotten what he isтАФ"
"Going all the way down to Diego, eh, Mr. Merwin?" said the wiry chicano. He was trying to rub
some of the grease off his hands. The filthy rag he was using already appeared incapable of taking